Penknife clipper



F. E, NEwKlRK PENKNIFE CLIPPER Filed Deo. 15, 1957 Il III 1 E All' INV ENT OR. FRANK E NEW/(lnk 55M WM United States Patent O PENKNIFE CLIPPER Frank E. Newkirk, Pacific Grove, Calif., assignor of onetenth to Gadget-Of-The-Month Club, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application December 13, 1957, Serial No. 702,637 3 Claims. (CI. 30-162) This invention relates to knives and more particularly to a pocket knife.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pocket knife which may be used for various cutting, carving, and trimming purposes and which may also be used for trimming paper.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a penknife clipper of the above type having manually adjustable extensible means for adjusting the length of the cutting blade extending outwardly from the forward end thereof.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a penknife clipper bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of a penknife clipper made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the device shown in Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a top elevational view of certain parts of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a penknife clipper made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a molded plastic barrel 12 having a longitudinal guide slot 13 within the interior thereof. A blade member 15 is slidably supported Within the guide slot 13 for reciprocating longitudinal movement therewithin. The base 16 of the blade member 15 is pivotally connected to the front end of a cylindrical carrier member 18 by means of a pivot pin 17 which extends therethrough for enabling the blade member to rotate about an axis that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the barrel when the blade is in the extended position shown in broken lines in Figure 1. An externally threaded stud 20 is supported upon a bearing 21 for rotation about the longitudinal axis ofthe barrel 12 at the rear end thereof. This threaded stud is in threaded engagement with the internally threaded cylindrical member 18 so that in response to rotation of the knurled end 23 of the stud, the cylindrical member 18 will move back and forth within the barrel 12.

A U-shaped section of spring Wire 25 extends through the base 16 of the blade member 15 and has the free ends embedded within the front end of the cylindrical mem- I2,885,779 Patented May 12, 1959 ICC ber 18. With the blade 15 in the outermost position 15a, the spring wire 25 is operative to rock the blade within the open end slot 27 of the barrel about the fulcrum 29 formed within the barrel 12, whereby the blade may be used as a paper clipper by exterting a releasable pressure against the dull edge of the blade 15a to urge it in the direction shown by the arrow. The cutting edge 28 of the blade is thus operative to cooperate with the housing to act as a scissor for clipping a sheet of paper, or the like. When it is desired to use this device as a knife or other carving or cutting tool, it is only necessary to rotate the stud 20 an amount necessary to extend the front end of the blade the desired distance out of the front end of the barrel 12, in which position it is retained by the threaded engagement of the parts. When not in use, the blade 15 is in the completely retracted position, in which position the barrel may be readily supported Within a pocket or purse by means of the clip 30. It will thus be recognized that when this device is used as a clipper, the spring 25 will normally urge the extended blade 15a in a direction away from the longitudinal axis of the barrel so that upon release of the squeezing pressure thereon, the blade will return to the angled position 15a shown so that repeated reciprocating action may be obtained.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as dened by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A penknife clipper comprising, in combination, a main barrel housing dening a longitudinal guide slot, a carrier slidably supported within said slot for reciprocating longitudinal movement, a blade pivotally supported upon said carrier, actuating means selectively extending and retracting said blade relative to said housing, an enlarged slot at one end of said housing in communication with said guide slot accommodating limited pivotal movement of said blade upon said carrier within said slot about an axis extending normal to the longitudinal axis of said housing, said actuating means comprising a threaded stud rotatably supported at the opposite end of said housing, and said carrier comprising a cylinder threadingly engaged with said stud for reciprocating longitudinal movement within said housing in response to rotation of said stud, and a spring secured at one end to said cylinder having an opposite end in pressure engagement with said blade resiliently resisting movement of said blade about said axis extending normal to the longitudinal axis of said housing.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein one edge of said blade in a retracted position coincides with the longitudinal axis of said housing.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said one edge of said blade defines a cutting edge.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,406,156 Cotter et al Feb. 7, 1922 1,629,775 Collander May 24, 1927 2,226,324 Prescott Dec. 24, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 472,055 France July 25, 1914 

